THE CYTOPLASMIC RIBOSOMAL-RNAS OF PLASMODIUM SPP

Plasmodium spp maintain several structurally distinct sets of ribosoma l RNA genes whose expression is developmentally regulated. This featur e sets them apart from all other eukaryotes studied to date. In this r eview, Thomas McCutchan, Jun Li, Glenn McConkey, John Rogers and Andy Waters give an account of the progress in our understanding of this un usual phenomenon as it relates to the biology of the parasite. They al so outline an interesting turnabout in scientific direction involving the use of the parasite as an important new model for the study of the eukaryotic ribosome.